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Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy striking the northeast.As many of my readers know, Sandy was something I experienced personally, as a native Staten Islander, who still lives on the island. I shared my experiences on this blog.

I just put together this montage of video I shot as the tidal wave came in and the next morning. At the time, I was nervous about sharing because of my voice. Now I realize it shows the terror of the water and what was overcome.

Even though this is a shoe blog, I see shoes as a lens to the world. I have no desire to downplay the horrific effects of this terrible storm. However, shoes comforted the feet of those evacuating, those escaping, and the long hard work of rebuilding.When I first blogged on Sandy, winds were starting to whip, and waves were rising. But they were only a omen of what was to come.

Before the storm got bad, I visited Midland Beach to see the waves and the wind.

My car before and after it was spun around and floated down the street. Also note the cars on top of each other across the street.

On the left you see my sneakers before the storm. The right hand side shows the dirt and mud.

In February, I shared how the recovery was going. It was taking awhile, but progress was slowly being made.

The aftermath was awful, mud and debris everywhere. Yet, amazing volunteers that were part of Rebuild Staten Island came out to give the most caring of help. They helped us clean out our basement and brought needed food and supplies. Our insurance company could have done more. They refused to pay for most of our damage and cause anger and frustration at a time we were already dealing with so much.There was an outpouring of support to charity, but sometimes I wonder where that charity money went. The Red Cross gave meals and some supplies, but other aid seemed missing.

In late May, many areas of Staten Island continued to have damage. These included hard hit areas like Cedar Grove, South Beach, and Midland Beach.

Rebuilding Staten Island continues to take place.

But despite the long arduous process, people are staying strong.

Full rebuilding is an ongoing effort that continues even though for many, normalcy is back. Many have yet to return to their homes and some businesses will never reopen. I see the lack of walls in my basement everyday.Maybe the buildings look less damaged, but the experience binds us all. The fear of mother nature cannot be washed away, nor can the fear of the next storm.But one thing that did happen, was people came together.I will never forget October 29, 2012. Remember those lost in the storm.How do you remember Superstorm Sandy?For more frequent updates, follow on twitter @throughthesole, become a fan on facebook, or follow us on Pinterest. Don't forget our new Instagram account.